Ok Let's talk film, so yesterday was George Lucas' birthday and RT did a list of the best and worst movies he has produced. Tomatoes reminded us that George has has epic success with the iconic film he has given us. I will always be a bigger Indiana Jones fan than a Star Wars fan. But that is just me. RT also reminds us of the disaster he cooked up in the early 80's such as Howard the Duck, which I think is tragically beautiful, Kelli thinks the duck sex is gross. He also drunkenly produced Radioland Murders which I think all of ten people saw and Willow, which is also a tragically beautiful film that tanked at the box office. Wiiilllow (sheep Voice). Well Happy Birthday George! (May 14) We honesty can't imagine life without Star Wars. What would my childhood have been like without it? I hate to imagine relying on GI JOE, though the action figures' knees and elbows did bend while Boba Fett was stuck straight legged.
Article in the New York times today talks about the lack of summer sequels at the box office and how that might equal lack of confidence in audience. The article says "The mix may not perfectly match the mood of an audience looking for refuge from election campaigns and high-priced gas, said Peter Sealey, a former Columbia Pictures marketing executive who is now an adjunct professor of marketing at Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker School. “If the schedule were not set three years in advance, they’d have a different slate,” Mr. Drucker said." Now this is typical of a Hollywood exec. These guys still think they have their hand the pulse of America's movie watching. They don't. Do you know what they have? Do you know what these studio heads and marketing execs rely on? Box Office Numbers from last year and focus groups. That's it. These execs don't go to theatres themselves and talk to people or feel t. he vibe of the public. These higher ups in Hollywood see movies on special screenings. They don't see films with real audience members who are tired of contrivance and formula and the umpteenth comic book hero made poorly into a film. Here's the secret Peter Sealey will not tell you about his role in Hollywoood marketing, he doesn't care if you like the film or not. He could care less if you can relate to it and want to watch it over and over on DVD. These people spend hours and hours pouring over numbers and formula methods in plot to get you in the theatre and out in under 2 hours. They want to excite you and dazzle you and they do not care how good the film is. It doesn't matter. Look at What Happens in Vegas. They got a high concept idea, big stars, and did a Romantic Comedy by the numbers. It stunk. It stunk like yesterday's socks! Did the care about the film being good! No! They wanted to get you in the theatre and dazzle you with an idea. That's it. Let me tell you, if Fox wanted What Happens in Vegas to be any good, they would have spent their money on a better screenwriter and director. But as I have continually proven, Hollywood could care less about the quality of the film it shoots. Iron Man? You say? Yes Iron Man was good because you had an inexpensive, but very caring and talented director to helm it. And Robert Downey Jr., a really talented actor to star.
So Mr. Sealey also is telling us that we need Hollywood to seek refuge in from Gas Prices and election campaigns, well Peter, we don't need movies for that. We as Americans have Family, friends, and TV for that. You have to get us in the theatre with more than a promise of refuge from Gas prices. What about the inflation of movie tickets? Where do we do when its 20 dollars for a matinee, Peter? Use some of that astute insight to tell us that? You seem to have your hand on the pulse of American film going! So here is the point, we don't go to see sequels or comic books, we go to the theatre to see good film, if its not good we may not see it, we don't want to see something done half ass like almost everything seems to be. Yes we want to be entertained but we want to be surprised. We want to see life recreated in well done film. Do you know why all the movies in the 70's were pretty good? Because box office relied heavily on word of mouth. Films had to be good in the early 70's or people would not see them. Imagine that! Hollywood could not hire big actors and get a huge idea and then hire sub par writers and directors. It was world without Michael Bay! The horror. It was terrible because it was the time when Hollywood went to USC to pick out talent. They got the young film students of Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and Steven. Why don't they just do that again. Look for talent. I guarantee you this, Hollywood cares nada about talent or substance. And these days we demand it. Some studios respond, most of them don't.
So, there is a Point Break Sequel in the works at Fox. Jan de Bont of Speed and Twister is going to direct FOR SURE. Filming will start this August. NO word yet on Reeves and Swayze returning or jumping out of airplanes.
Ok another point I need to drive to the ground how I feel about the remake news today and everyday it seems. Hollywood doesn't have new ideas so we remake everything from the 80's..blah blah blah. We know this. So we have news of Friday the 13th and Piranha being made again. Who directed Piranha 2? Anyone!!!?? James Cameron, that's right. Point? Here's the remake thing. Horror movies are at their frightening best when left greatly unexplained. That's what Rob Zombie doesn't understand. John Carpenter's Halloween was so much more frightening when Michael Meyers did not have extensive back story and explanation. Watching a babysitter killer hacking naked chicks was scary because we did not know why he did it. Yes Zombie and Hollywood today needs the explanation the back story, as if we care, to NUMBER ONE, have an excuse to remake a movie and NUMBER TWO, over explain something enough to the point that murder is UNDERSTANDABLE. Well murder will never be understandable, at least not to normal caring folk like yourself, therefore it is scarier and more believable left mostly unexplained. So, Rob and Hollywood hacks of 80's cinema, explain away, all you are doing is making something scary, LESS SCARY. Its like The Hills explaining Heidi Montag's messed up childhood. Good job.
Speaking of not scary, M. Night Shamaylan is going to throw garbage up on the screen one again. Why do execs let him make film. He should be directing episodes of Law and Order SVU for the rest of his life. Shamaylan is NOT good. He had one good film, Sixth Sense and if you have ever seen it twice, it is Booooooring. Why is still being mainstream camera? Send him to NBC or maybe they don't even want him. Anyway.
The one ring dot net has news of PJ talking about the Hobbit on May 24 on a Podcast. Read below to find out more! And Shia Lebouf talks about his favorite Indy scene which he calls "the massive sword fight". sounds cool. We love Shia, he is funny. Until next time! Let's talk film!

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/indiana_jones_countdown/news/1728125/

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/05/15/young-jason-voorhees-revealed/

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985652.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/cannes_film_festival_2008/news/1728194/

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/05/14/indy-star-shia-labeouf-swings-swords-for-his-favorite-scene/

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2008/05/14/28847-an-unexpected-party-chat-with-pj-and-gdt/